2017 – Page 25 – SLA Profiles (2017)

First Week in Amman!

As of this week, I’ve officially been in Amman for a little over a week! Boy, has it felt like I’ve been here WAY longer than that! Trust me, it’s been great and exciting getting to explore such a complex place like this, but there have been quite a few bumps in the road along the way.

Let me tell you about my first few days in Amman! I was so lucky and am very grateful that I could stay with one of the kindest and most welcoming alums, Theresa Rinaldo along her fiancé, Jerome. I’m not gonna lie, they had quite the amazing set up compared to what I was expecting in Jordan because not only was there hot water, but there was also a faucet for clean drinking water. I was so amazed by that! I was also able to go to one of the most popular restaurants in Amman, Hashem! WOWZA! That falafel and hummus was pretty amazing. While we were just… “Roman” around downtown, we spotted a concert that we ended up going to at the Amman Citadel. The Citadel is historically significant because has many buildings and ruins from the Roman, Byzantine, and Umayyad periods so in case you didn’t get the pun, now you know!

It’s always so crowded, but it’s so yummy! Also sorry for the quality… Lighting isn’t always the best in the city!

I also need to add this… I WENT SWIMMING AT THE US EMBASSY! Why this is so amazing to me, I will never know. I felt so important walking in, handing in my ID, receiving a badge, and going through security just to swim in your typical swimming pool. I think the most impressive thing about it was the fact that the bar served Dr. Pepper. NEVER HAVE I EVER SEEN DR. PEPPER OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES!

After a super wonderful and comfortable stay with some nice folks, it was time for me to leave and do what I had been anticipating all summer… Meet up with my roommate, Olga, and move into our apartment. On the way to an infamous McDonald’s that kept being referenced, I had my first full out interaction with a taxi driver who could barely speak English. HOLY COW! WOW! I never knew I could even speak with someone for 30 minutes in Arabic! Little did I know that would not be the craziest thing I experienced here.

Guys, I didn’t even have a mop to clean this up!

The next day is when culture shock began to sink in and living on my own (well, with a roommate) wasn’t so cool anymore. We had decided to go get some groceries like every adult is supposed to do so we could come back and fix dinner. After getting back, we realized that our refrigerator didn’t work! We tried plugging it in and waiting, in hopes that it would get cold, and after 4 hours—nothing. The milk and the “meat” we had bought were going bad so we had to use it. We cooked some pasta with this mystery meat and ate cereal so of course, we needed to be responsible and wash dishes. Unfortunately, as the water was draining, it leaked from the pipe and flooded our entire kitchen area. Can I just say at this point, I’ve had enough of this “adulting” idea, but it didn’t stop there. Olga and I heard a loud knock on our door and finally, it was our housekeeper to the rescue! Except he didn’t speak a lick of English so we were forced to explain our entire situation in Arabic. YIKES. My two years of Arabic did not prepare me for all of this so with our limited vocabulary, we were finally able to get the housekeeper to understand our problem and he fixed our problems! Or so we thought. The craziness continued. As we were waiting for our replacement refrigerator (that was supposed to be delivered to us in 30 minutes), we hear a knock on the door. In hopes of finally settling everything, we open it up and lo and behold, there is a man standing there with a suitcase full of perfumes. He also didn’t speak English very well so here we are, sitting in our small living room having a ton of perfumes sprayed all over us, in the hallways, in our bags, and even on his arms. We ended up having this sales pitch go on and on for over an hour and finally, we just bought this “designer” perfume. It was so strange because this man kept expecting me to translate what he was saying to Olga as if she couldn’t speak Arabic, but little did he know that she knew just as much as I did! It ended up being such a strange experience that all we could do was laugh at how random it was.

Only here will you find “The Top Quality” perfume!

The next day was our placement exams…. TALK ABOUT YIKES! I had absolutely no clue what to expect. I was so nervous because I haven’t practiced in so long, but somehow I managed to receive one of the highest scores! Because of that, I was placed into the highest level, which is level 6. If we’re being honest, before coming to this program, I had thought I would be at a level 2 or 3, but when I saw that I made it to 6, I truly couldn’t believe it. It was something I did not expect, especially since Arabic is something I’m not confident in. Not yet anyways.

And here’s why I was so amazed that there was a faucet for drinking water!

My first day of class was extremely intimidating. First, let me explain how my morning started out. I woke up and began to take a shower when suddenly, the water pressure only becomes drips of water. For a girl with longer and thicker hair, this is not okay. At one point, the water completely stopped. This was probably the first time in all my years of traveling that I ever experienced frustration because of a lack of a necessity. Usually, I’m okay with not having everything I need, but I this time was different for some reason. After about 30 minutes, I was able to finish my shower and head to class. It turns out, I was with 4 other students who have all studied Arabic abroad for at least a year! And a couple of them for 3 years! This was such a shock to me since they all seem to be so much more advanced than me, yet I somehow was place in the same class. There were two guys from Russia who seemed SO intense. I kid you not, they were even correcting the professor. That definitely did NOT help my anxiety. The second day when one guy walked in, he shook everyone else’s hand but mine! I was so shocked! It finally settled in that he is from Russia and culturally, things might be different.

Overall, despite these series of events, I am still so excited to be here and am amazed with how much I’m growing. My Arabic class here at the University of Jordan is very challenging, but I know I will begin the acquire the language by being a part of this level. It’s very interesting because, as my professor put it, we are “playing with words” every day, meaning that we are always trying to figure out the meaning of a word and its function based on what we know. We’re also learning the exact meaning of the words we know and using them in a way that a native speaker would, not in the way we would if we based it on literal translation. It helps being introduced to the dialect in class because when people speak the colloquial language, I can get a better understanding of what they are saying and can build my vocabulary first in the class then in everyday interactions. I will admit, I’m still learning how to handle being one of the only people here from the United States because I’m WAY out of my comfort zone. I can’t even speak English like I normally would since most people here aren’t fluent, which can be frustrating at times when all the culture shock begins to pile up on me. It seems like everything I’ve known about living a life in another country has gone out the window and quite frankly, there are times where all I want to do is go home so I don’t have to keep trying to figure everything out. Every situation I come across tends to be one where I’m completely lost and need figure out an entirely new way to handle it whether it be with my apartment, interactions with people, or even sitting in class. I am now re-learning everything and although it is incredibly frustrating, I know that with time and prayer, I can and will overcome these small obstacles. Yalla! (or “let’s go”)

P.S.- Sorry for such a long post! I don’t always have internet so when I post, it will more than likely be a bit longer 🙂

July 7th – Second Week at SNU

I think one of the most challenging things about learning a language is getting used to different idioms and cultural nuances. Being bilingual comes with costs as well. I’d be trying to explain something in one language but I can only think of the specific phrase in the other language. After being around Korean speakers for a while, I definitely had gotten used to Korean sayings and phrases that only exist in the Korean language and would be hard to translate to English. For example, there is this one term “찌릿찌릿” and it loosely translates to “shooting pain”. This term is usually used to describe pains when you have a bodyache.

This Friday, we went to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and was able to go into the third infiltration tunnel, a tunnel built during the Korean War for the purpose of sending North Korean troops all the way to Seoul, the capital of South Korea. This tunnel was discovered in 1978 and the North Koreans were accused of violating the 1953 Armistice Agreement. This is the third of four known tunnels, but there could be up to 20 more. It was really eerie being inside this tunnel. The North Koreans disguised it as an abandoned coal mine by smearing the walls with coal dust. There were also many holes in the walls, which turned out to be dynamite holes, and they all faced the South. Additionally, as we went into the tunnel, the decline was pretty noticeable. This was so that any water in the tunnels would automatically drain out to North Korea. We also went to Dorasan Station which is the train station that used to connect North Korea and South Korea. The best part of this experience was going to the Dora Observatory, situated on Mount Dora, which is where one can see into the reclusive North Korea.

Peace bell near the Dora Observatory

Behind me is a sign that says “To Pyeongyang” which is the capital of North Korea

“End of separation, beginning of unification”

views from the observation deck (north korea)

“Dora Observatory”

Gay Pride in Paris!

For my final post of my SLA program, I am going to write about my experience attending Paris’ gay pride in late June. While it happened a little while ago, I thought it would be interesting to share what it was like on my blog. While it certainly had a similar feeling as previous American Pride Parades that I have been to, there was certainly a distinct feeling of Frenchness in the air. The parade was incredibly joyful and everyone who was marching in it seemed so empowered and happy to be there. However, as always, the parade had many political undertones. Specifically, there were many people marching in the parade with signs and floats that were in support of “le PMA” (Procréation Médicalement Assisteée, or Medically assisted procreation) for gay and lesbian couples. Under France’s current laws, no one outside of heterosexual relationships is allowed to engage in PMA. However, there are large segments of France’s population that are in support of these rights being extended to gays and lesbians. While I obviously understand this issue in an American context (which is not really an issue…), it was so interesting to use the Pride Parade as a way to learn about what rights are lacking in France for LGBTQ+ persons. As a Political Science student, it was very thought provoking to engage in a bit of comparative politics by seeing the progress that has been made in Europe as opposed to the US for these marginalized groups. Interestingly, I found the PMA to be to most prominent issue, while Trans rights are typically at the forefront of American pride parades.

In addition to getting an idea about LGBTQ+ culture in France, the parade was also a good exercise in French vocabulary. There were a plethora of signs at the event, and most contained funny or ironic slogans which were hard to decipher. I found myself using my phone’s french – english dictionary during the parade. While slightly embarrassing that this is what I was focused on, I will say that I certainly learned some new vocabulary that is LGBTQ+ specific, which was helpful considering that those things are not typically included in your average French book!

Below are some pictures of the Parade and of the things I saw. It was definitely one of the liveliest moments of my time here!

Here is a photo of one of the many groups advocating for PMA for all:

Another general photo of the parade:

This was the beginning point of the parade at La Place de la Concorde:

Week 5 — New class

My fifth week has been an interesting one, as I have begun my level C1 class at the Alliance Française. Contrary to what I had anticipated, it has been really great to switch up the dynamic of the class with another set of students and a new professor. Luckily, this professor is just as excited to correct us as the old one was, which again has continued to help my French.

Our professor has given us a lot of tips of the best places to visit in Paris, and she said that a must-do are the fireworks at Versailles each Saturday night of the summer. So, a group from my class decided to go this past Saturday. While I had visited Versailles before, I never got the chance to visit the gardens. When we arrived, we spent about an hour wandering through the maze of absolute stunning gardens and fountains. I had previously learned about the construction of the fountains in a class at Notre Dame, so it was so cool to finally get to see them up close, and let me tell you, they are impressive for technology from the 1600s-1700s…

After meandering through the gardens, we sat down and ate the dinner pic-nic that we had packed. I must say, eating a baguette and drinking a bottle of wine with friends was the most French I have felt yet…!

After our dinner, we took our seats and waited for the fireworks. While we waited, we watched flames be shot into the sky by little flame throwers that were timed to the beat of the music. It was incredible to watch, especially with a view of the castle in the background. After around a half an hour of waiting, the fireworks finally began. As expected, they were absolutely stunning. They lasted for nearly twenty minutes, and by the time they were finished, no one got up and moved, as we were all so mesmerized by what we had just seen.

It was certainly a night to remember, and one that I will always hold close to my heart! Below are some pictures of the night. Sadly, they don’t do it justice, but hopefully you will have an idea of what it was like!

Week 4

If I had to use one word to describe my fourth week in Paris, it would be immersive. I met a Parisienne girl this year while studying abroad in Angers who has been in the city for the week visiting family. We have been able to spend a lot of time together and she has shown me her favorite parts of the city. The reason I used the word immersive earlier, though, is because she speaks only a little bit of broken english. Therefore, we communicate solely in French. This means that I have spent most days of the week completely immersed in the language and culture. While it has been hard, and I have had my fair share of frustrations, I have noticed that my oral skills have already improved a lot. What is great about speaking normally in French (as opposed to in a classroom setting), is that you are forced to think on your feet. If you are unable to formulate a response quickly enough, the conversation will simply fall apart. I have noticed that all of the attention I am giving my French has really benefited my skill level.

Here is a picture of my friend as we sat in her home’s incredible yard:

My classes at the Alliance Française have of course also continued to help my overall level of French. I have finally developed a good working relationship with my Professor and I feel comfortable asking any question that pops into my head, no matter how basic or easy the response may be. She is also very quick to critique my errors, which I truly apreciate (especially given that most people will not do that, as it is considered rude). Sadly, though, this is my last week with this Professor. Next week, I will continue on to a level C1 class (the second highest on the CEFRL). While I am really excited to finally be in C1 (it has been on my radar ever since August when I arrived in Angers at an A2 level), I will be sad to leave the Professor that I enjoy so much. However, given the reputation of my school as one of the best in France, I am sure it will be great.

Learning Through Immersion

For the last month I’ve had the amazing opportunity of studying in Hakodate, Japan and although it has been among the most challenging experiences I have ever had, it has been extremely rewarding. Getting off the plane in Narita, I was full of excitement despite just disembarking from a 8 hour plane ride, that is until I had my first conversation. Though I understood that my Japanese was far from good, I was shocked to find that I couldn’t even ask simple questions, like where is the luggage carousel. That being said, making it through customs on my own was pretty terrifying ,but to my luck, with the little Japanese I could use and the english speaking information guides, I was able to make it through.

Though those few days in Tokyo went relatively well, I was fully aware that unlike Tokyo, Hakodate would be a lot more difficult to navigate through due to its smaller english speaking presence. On top of that, I knew that if I had any hope of making any real relationships with my host family, I would need to improve my Japanese drastically. Unfortunately, my first encounter with my host family, although endearing, was extremely awkward. As much as I wanted to speak to them and get to know them, I simply couldn’t and instead resigned myself to being silent. Thankfully however, my host family had been extremely understanding and welcoming which led to me taking more chances with my speaking skills. Soon after, I found that being in such an immersive environment caused me to learn on the go, teaching me to use the context of the situation to figure out what was being said. As a result, after a month of constant conversation, with the help of new grammar and vocabulary from class, I feel as if I can actually hold meaningful conversations about myself and interesting topics such as the differences between Japan and America.

Though even now, I feel as if I’m far from fluency, I hope by the end of my time here, I will be able to hold more intellectually stimulating conversations.

Love for Japan (based on mere observations)

Growing up in China, I struggled with what attitude I should hold whenever Japan is mentioned. To many Chinese people, Japan is a constant reminder of humiliation and sorrow due to its encroachment on China’s land and lives in contemporary history. Today, it remains as an immense threat, a neighbor that is unfriendly, yet well-respected internationally. My dad is a fan of Japanese literature and takes an unconventional stance on Japan, and thus the contradictory and opposing comments on Japan confused yet mesmerized me.

I started taking Japanese my second year of college, with no definite purpose in mind. Part of it has to do with that confusion. Hearing about Japan would never render me a holistic picture of it, and even if nobody might ever know Japan fully, I hoped to discover it on my own

Thus learning the language serves the goal. I could only observe Japan from a distance if I have no background in Japanese, but with a proficiency in Japanese, I could not only get to know the English speakers I encounter on the trip, but also people from all different social economic backgrounds. As someone who believes that “the place nurtures its own people,” I could not wait to find out what Japanese are like, and how Japan shapes them into different people from, let’s say, Chinese people and Americans.

The moment I arrived in Japan, I fell in love with it. From just looking around, I could tell that this is a place characterized by order and neatness. All the service providers greeted me with sincere smiles, and used the polite expressions to show respect. The bus I took to the hotel was clean with dustless windows, and despite carrying a full car of people, it was absolutely quiet.

The more I get to see about Japan, the more appreciation I have for it. The first night my friends and I explored the city of Kanazawa, we spotted neither trash nor trash can on the street. Later, we learned that in order to realize the goal of optimizing recycling, in Japan, people either throw the trash at the categorized trash cans convenient stores, or keep it at their own home, and throw it out later, normally at the day that collects a specific kind of trash.

The self-discipline that Japanese people have simply impressed me. At least I experienced difficulties with this recycling system at first, and have naturally grown respect for those who fastidiously follow it. But trashing is not the only thing that demonstrates the self-discipline and attentiveness of Japanese people, there are more to name. Japan is somewhere where restaurants can be quiet enough for studying, where people can walk on the street at 2 am in the morning without fear of robbery or crimes, and where people dress nicely in shirts and dresses. Most importantly, this is a place where I never feel ashamed of my unsatisfying Japanese, because all people do is to praise my Japanese skills and encourage me to work harder.

With all these observations, I have to say that Japan humbles me and makes me more aware of the strengths that others have. Often times, countries like USA and China pop up in my mind when I was asked to name countries of great national merits, but what exactly is national merit? At least in Japan, I constantly marvel at the neatness and order, and wish these are not characters exclusively found in Japan.

(exploring Kanazawa with friends)

Adventures in Germany

I’m beginning my second week of classes and really falling in love with Bavaria. I can tell that even after only one week of class here at the CDC, my German skills are improving greatly. Speaking the language for several hours each day has helped me gain new vocabulary and given me an immense deal of practice.

Everyday I’m done with class at 1 o’clock, so I’ve been spending my afternoons exploring Munich and the surrounding areas. One highlight from the past week was visiting the town of Freising, which is about 30 minutes outside of Munich. I was able to tour the beautiful cathedral there, which sits on top of a hill overlooking the town. I’m really beginning to love the design styles present in the churches of Bavaria, which are much brighter and light filled than the gothic styles of most major European churches. I found out while reading a pamphlet in the Freising cathedral that Pope Benedict XVI was ordained a priest there in 1951 and taught at the local seminary for a number of years. The offices of the Munich archdiocese were attached to the cathedral, so I was able to go inside and see the private chapel the pope formerly used when he was Joseph Ratzinger, the archbishop of Munich.

Last saturday, I took a bus to Nuremberg for the day. The city was beautiful and offered a nice change from the faster paced atmosphere in Munich. The city was an important center for the Nazi movement, so I was able to visit many sites relating to national socialism and World War II. I spent a significant amount of time at the Nazi Documentation Center, which focuses on the growth of the Nazi movement, with a particular emphasis on Nazi activities in Nuremberg. The museum is built into Congress Hall, a building intended to serve as a Nazi party legislative meeting place, but left unfinished by Hitler. In a symbolic gesture, a metal beam cuts through the building, displaying the death of National Socialism. I also visited the courtroom where the Nuremberg trials were conducted, which is actually still an active court room today. To bring my visit to these sites full circle, I visited Dachau concentration camp the next day. It’s an eerie place that just has a strange air about it. It’s hard to describe, but it’s almost as if the land itself remembers the atrocities committed there.

Celebrating Independence Day here in Munich was fairly uneventful. Since there are very few Americans at the CDC there were no big events going on. However, it was interesting to see reactions from other students when I told them it was our national holiday. Many students come from countries with no comparable level of nationalism to the United States, so some, while not surprised about the concept of a national holiday, and were surprised about people actually wanting to celebrate it. To have a bit of an American celebration, I went with Nathan O’Halloran, SJ, and Daniel Rashid to one of the local restaurants and we had a beer, toasting the good old U.S.A.

Bosnian Bridges

I was in Bosnia for the first time in 2015, and saw many of the same bridges then as I have this summer. But while I didn’t pay much attention to them them then, I have been struck this time by how critical bridges are to the history of the country. In the heart Sarajevo, in one of the most well-trafficked areas, lies the Third most famous bridge in Bosnia, the Latin Bridge. According to some accounts, it was on this bridge in 1914 that Archduke Ferdinand, his wife, and their unborn child were assassinated, setting in motion the First World War. In reality, this is an inaccurate account of events. They were actually shot about a block away near a bakery. But the myth persists, and for that reasons tour group after tour group spend the day walking over it.

Perhaps the second most famous bridge crosses the river Darina. As the subject of author Ivo Andrić’s Nobel Prize winning novel, this bridge attracts authors, tourists, and artists of every kind. If you have never had the opportunity to read ‘The Bridge on the Drina,’ I highly recommend it. I should warn you that it is not an easy read. The book is written from the perspective of the bridge, and thoroughly documents the long history of the region. It’s primary focus is on the atrocities that all who have ruled the region have committed, and it recounts these in an effort to enlighten the reader about the origins of mistrust that plague the 3 major ethnic groups to this day. It is a compelling piece of literature, but one that is heavy and difficult to read. I don’t recommend it for people under the age of 12.

The most famous bridge in Bosnia is found in Mostar, and it is simultaneously recognized as a symbol of war and peace. Originally ruled by the Ottoman Empire, the town has also fallen under the Rule of the Roman Empire and the Kingdom of Serbia. As of the early 1990’s its population was largely divided between Catholic Croats and Muslim Bosniaks, though violence committed there was also perpetrated by Serb forces. The topography of the region contributes to its beauty, but it also ensured that it was a site of intense fighting during the war. The city straddles a river, and is bordered on either side by large mountains. The two sides of the town are connected by a bridge originally constructed by the Ottomans., Popular myth holds that Bosniaks live on one side of the river while Catholic inhabit the other. While that is certainly not the case now, the town was ethnically divided during the war. At the height of the violence both Croat and Bosniak forces placed snipers on opposing hillsides so that they could shoot down into the valley at the other sides civilians. In 1993 Croat artillery forces destroyed the original bridge which had stood for over 400 years.

In 2004 the bridge was rebuilt. Though magnificent, its beauty is not what attracts many to the site. What is remarkable about the bridge today is the way that it was financed. In an effort to make amends for what the Croatian President referred to as “Croatia’s shame,” the government of Croatia partially financed the bridges construction. Other donors included the World Bank, the European Union, and Turkey. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and an embodiment of peace.

Land of Fire and Ice

Yesterday evening I arrived in Iceland.

I’d landed on Iceland a few times before over the years, stopping only for several hours at the Keflavík airport on my way to visit family in Sweden. I’d seen the landscape from my tiny airplane window, and I remember thinking of the place as dry, flat, and rocky– an ever-so-slightly greener kind of moonscape.

View on bus ride from the airport to Reykjavík, Iceland’s capital city whose name means “Bay of Smoke.”

I’ve also read a lot about Iceland. As a student of Medieval Literature, and of Northern European Medieval Literature more particularly, I’ve read many of what are known as the “Sagas of Icelanders.” These texts are largely concerned with the settlement period of Iceland until its conversion to Christianity, telling much about the lives, deaths, and culture of the early settlers. From these old stories I’ve gained a sense of how many places in Iceland received their names many centuries ago, and I’ve imagined what the places must have looked like when the great saga heroes like Grettir the Strong and Egill Skallagrímsson inhabited them.

Unfortunately, I have not yet read a contemporary novel in Icelandic (hopefully this language program will enable me to do so!). However, I still wanted to get a sense of Iceland through modern literature before departure. The week before I embarked, I took some time to read Jules Verne’s 19th century novel A Journey to the Center of the Earth. Verne’s narrator (Harry) describes a bleak and uninviting landscape which can be traversed only with some discomfort. The novel casts Iceland’s grand Snæfellsjökul- a volcano I plan to visit later this month- as the point of entry to the earth’s core. [Fun fact: Another Icelandic volcano, named Hekla, was referred to as the “Gateway to Hell” by some medieval authors and early modern mapmakers.] I wonder- what will my experience of Iceland’s volcanoes entail?

All this is simply to say that my literary experiences of Iceland, as well as my very limited actual experience of the place, did not prepare me for what I found upon arrival, especially the greenery and trees. My bus ride from Keflavík to Reykjavík revealed a landscape which, though generously sprinkled with rocks, also yielded fields of beautiful purple flowers. When I arrived in Reykjavík itself, I found that the joke I’d first heard a few years ago (Q: “How do you find your way when lost in an Icelandic forest?” A: “Stand up”) was simply not true of the city. Admittedly, to call Reykjavík a highly forested place would be misleading, but it is a charming place not only blessed with gorgeous views of grand mountains and broad expanses of water but with lovely green trees. I knew Iceland would be a strikingly beautiful place, but I did not expect this particular kind of beauty.

Hólavallagarður Cemetery in Reykjavík, a short walk from my lodging.

Little Mermaid statue in Hljómskálagarður park, near City Hall.

Spectacular view from Skúlagata in Reykjavík.

As I’ve only today had the first Modern Icelandic class, I can’t say that my Icelandic is so far something worth writing home about. But Iceland certainly is worth writing home about, and I’m not surprised that it is becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. I am looking forward to spending the next month or so in this fascinating place and to learning its beautiful language.